Outboard bearing bracket for thresher cylinder shafts



y 1936- A. w. WESSMAN 2,048,907

OUTBOARD BEARING BRACKET FOR THRESHER CYLINDER SHAFTS Filed July 5, 1935 IIIIBUBDEDB uuuuuuuuu A 3 rately aligning the auxiliary bruiser attachment at the used for driving the straw Patented July 28, 1936 PATENT OFFICE OUTBOARD BEARING BRACKET FOR THRESHER CYLINDER SHAFTS Arnt W. Wessman, Moline, Ill.,"assignor to International Harvester Company, a corporation of New Jersey,

Application July 5, 1935,

2 Claims.

This invention relates to an outboard bearing bracket support for thresher cylinder shafts of stationary threshers.

It is common practice to drive a so-called straw straw discharge end of the machine by means of a belt and pulley drive, the power being taken from the threshing cylinder shaft at the front end of the machine. The thresher cylinder shaft extends sufficiently laterally out of the threshing machinehousing to permit mounting of a second'drive pulley on the extended end of the shaft, so that power may be taken therefrom by means of a belt to drive the wind stacker or a straw bruiser attachment.

Such arrangement is ample for the operation of the wind stacker, but a very severe load and strain is imparted to the bearings which support the cylinder shaft when the straw bruiser is driven from the second pulley. In fact, when driving the straw bruiser, there is great. danger that, with power being taken from .the extended end of the shaft, the shaft will become fatigued and cause the bearings to give out. It is desirable, therefore, that, when the second pulley is being bruiser attachment, an outboard hearing be provided for supporting the outer extended end of the shaft, so as properly to support said shaft to save the same and its bearings from wear and damage.

It is the main object of this inventiomtherefore, to provide an improved outboard bearing bracket for thresher cylinder shafts.

It is another object to provide such a shaft support including means for easily and accubearing support to hold the shaft true on its axis.

It is still another object to provide a simplifie means for aligning the bearing bracket with the shaft.

Other important objects will become apparent to those skilled in this art as the disclosure is more fully made.

These important objects may the illustrative example of the invention shown in the accompanying, sheet of drawings in'which, briefly, a thresher is shown carrying a cylinder on a cylinder shaft, one end of said shaft extending laterally of the thresher housing and carrying an inner pulley for the reception of a belt whereby to drive the cylinder. The shaft end in question projects laterally of this inner pulley, so that a second pulley may be carried on said shaft end for the purpose of taking power from the cylinder shaft to drive, by means of a second belt, an auxiliary mechanism associated with the be achieved Serial No. 29,937

thresher, such for example as a straw bruiser, arranged at the straw discharge end of the thresher. The improved outboard bearing bracket embodies a pair of spaced arms which are secured at their free ends by means of an improved adjusting means to the adjacent side of the thresher. This bracket carries a bearing. through which the shaft is passed whereby the outer end of said shaft is rigidly supported to prevent the same from becoming fatigued and to insure that it will run properly on a true axis.

In said drawing:

Figure 1 is a general front elevational view, partly in transverse cross section, of a thresher to show the threshing cylinder and its shaft and also the improved outboard bearing bracket operatively associated therewith;

Figure 2 is a general side elevational view of the outboard bearing support, partly in section, taken along'the line 2-2 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 3 is a central transverse cross sectional l View of the structure shown in Figure 2, and taken along the line 3-3 of Figure 2, looking in the direction of the arrows, the parts being shown on a larger scale;

Figure 4 is a detail plan view of the structure shown in Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a detail elevational view, partly in cross section, to show the improved form of adjustable lock means for aligning the bearing in the bracket with the shaft; and,

' Figure 6 is an enlarged sectional view through the structure shown in Figure 5, taken along the line 66 of Figure 5, looking in the direction of the arrows.

In Figure 1 there is shown a front view of a thresher which embodies a frame l0 including a separator housing II, the side walls of which carry bearings l2 for journaling opposite ends of a transverse thresher cylinder shaft l3, on which is mounted the thresher cylinder l4 within the housing II. The framework l0 and body II are carried on a front axle l5 including a pair of front wheels l6, while the rear end of the thresher is carried on an axle ll journaled one; pair of rear wheels l8.

The shaft l3 has one end extending laterally of the housing H, the extended end of said shaft carrying a main pulley wheel I9 adapted to receive a belt driven from any suitable source of power to turn the shaft l3 and the cylinder M. The shaft l3 extends some distance laterally beyond this pulley wheel l9, and over this extended end of the shaft is slid a bifurcated bracket 20,

l3 by means of a key I3, and the inner race of drive fitted over; a" sleeve -22",

the bearing 22 is which is notched to fit over the key li3i'. arrangement obviously actsras a driverfor the inner race of the bearing 221'. The freeren'dl'ofr each arm 2|, as shown in Figure 5, is formed with an enlarged circular end 25, which, as shown in Figure 6, is formed with a'circula'r opening 2& to receive a circular washer 21 having an outer flange 28. Said circular washer 21. is formedwith a-hol'earranged oif'center; as shown. A: bolt 30' is extended through this hole and through a slot 29in a frame part adjacent the side wall' said bolt having a head. 3|. adapted to carry a nut 32 onvthe back side: of the frame part for securing the washer21. and arm 2| to: the wall The fredend of eacharm 2 is similarly constructed'in th'erespects just mentioned. The free end 'of oner-a-rm 2l is connected to a bolt receiving slot 29 formed in a bracket 33, while the other arm 2| is adapted to be similarly secured to a bracket 34', as shown in Figure 2. V The end of the shaft |3 projects beyond this bearing bracket 20 and is adapted to receive a second tpulley 35, which in turn is adapted to receive a b'e'lt. for taking power from the shaft 3 and delivering it to antauxiliary mechanism; such as a straw b'ruiser, located at the straw dump end oii'the machine; for driving the same.

In. the: normal conditionof use of the thresher the pulley I9 is driven from a belt to drive the shaft l'-3= and the cylinder |4.. The pulley'35 is also: on. the: shaft to be belt connected for driving the wind stacker. The bearing bracket structure ZIP-2|, however, is not on. the machine. When it is desired to drive the auxiliary straw bruiser; then the bracket structure 2B--2| is brought into place by sliding the same overthe endof the shaft |3"into: the position. shown in Figure 3, (the .pulley 35 being first removed), whereby to provide an outboard bearing support for the-shaft I3. The enlarged ends-25 of the two arms 2| are positioned.- over the respective" bolt receiving'slots 29 in. thevbrackets 33 and 34, the eccentriccwashers" 21 beingt placedf to register the bolt holes therein with the adjacent respective slot 29, whereby to positiom the arms 21 such a manner that the bearing 22 will be coaxially disposed with respect tOTfllB axis of. the shaft l3 Thus the eccentric washers 21' provide'anreasy and ready means for insuring;proper-mountinguof the bearing 22 in: relation to the shaft l3. The nuts 32 are drawn tight when theybearing has been properly aligned fixedlyto securethe bearing and its supporting bracket n-mnly inplace. The outer or auxiliary pulleyfi is then fastened to the shaft l3 in posi-' tion to receive a belt for driving the auxiliary straw bruiser.

By unloosening the nuts 32, it is a simple matter to swing the two arms 2| together as a unit forwardly to make it possible to slip the belt off the main pulley l9, as desired.

From this disclosure it will now be seen that an improved form of outboard bearing support has been providedfor the purposes stated and that the same achieves the desirable objects heretofore recited.

Itiis theintention to cover all such changes and .modi'ficati'ons of the particular example of theinventiondisclosed which do not constitute 'denartures fronf thespirit and scope of the inwhen:=-both -are.-mounted on the shaft, arms includ'ediin thebracket having their free endsanguelarly" spaced apart anditrespe'ctively located at spaced =pointsz adjacentx the proximate side wall ofithe':bodwboltsJpasseda-through the free ends of the -arms'forsecuring said: free ends to thebody;

andiieccentric means:operativelyu-associated with i the'arms andiboltsrfor enabling the arms to be swung the bracket torialign; the: bearing on theshaft;v

2;: All! outboard: bearing support for. a thresher cylinder shaftcarried horizontally in spaced main. bearings diSlJOSEdiifidJZCBIlt opposite side walls; ofi 'athresher gbody, the shaft having one end projected a'substantial distance beyond one side Wallofithe body-and one: of the main bearings, theprojected end. 10f" the shaft carrying a pair: of. spacedi' p1xll'eys',."said% support comprising a bracket having at cup-shaped head enclosing a bearing, said liieaLring: and bracket being slipped over thesaidz end of the shaft when'the outer pulley is removed ta support the shaft at a point spacedifronrthenearest of "said main bearings and 'betwe'enzthe pulleys when both are mounted on the shaftgarms connected with the bracket which extend angularly in spaced apart relation fromthe -ltiead saidarms having free ends located-at spaced points" adjacent the proximate side wall of the body, means passed through the free ends ofthe: arms for securing saidfree ends to the'body, and means operatively associated with theflfree endsqof the arms and securing means for-enabling. the arms to be swung with the-bracket. to alignlthe. bearing on the shaft.

. ARNT W. WESSMAN. 

